UNSTEADINESS. 325 



me that he has invariably succeeded with horses which 

 were deemed impossible to drench, in making them drink 

 by mounting them, sitting well forward, drawing the head 

 round to the off-side by the headstall with the left hand, 

 and then giving them the draught out of a bottle with 

 the right hand. This gentleman also advises to have a 

 man on the back of a horse which is difficult to ball, while 

 the operator is giving the bolus. The aim of these ex- 

 pedients is to make the horse take the drench or ball 

 at the time, and not to render him permanently docile 

 in either of these respects. 



UNSTEADY WITH THE WHIP, UNDER FIRE, WHEN DRAWING 

 SWORDS, WHEN TOUCHED WITH THE HEEL, ETC. 



These manifestations of nervousness or of impatience of 

 control may be corrected, either wholly or for the most 

 part, by putting the horse through a course of long-rein 

 work on foot, while subjecting him to the effects of the 

 causes of his impatience. Or we may use the head and 

 tail method, or teach the animal the word " steady ! " with 

 the rope-twitch. For making a horse steady while the man 

 on his back draws a sword, especially from a steel scabbard, 

 we should, after having saddled the horse, attach the sword 

 to the saddle by the waist belt, so as to leave it and the 

 sabretache (if used) hanging down the near side of the 

 horse. Then, while using either the rope-twitch or the 

 head and tail method, we may, with the aid of a long stick, 

 move the sword from side to side, and withdraw it more 

 or less out of the scabbard, so as to make it rattle. For 

 accustoming a horse to stand the pressure of the heel, 

 we may, in the same manner, teach him first of all to bear 

 being gently poked in the side with a long stick, the end 

 of which has been covered with some soft substance. When 



